Jason hadn’t won a thing, but he didn’t care. Hanging out with Coop and Fred was like being a kid again; as they made their way from one end of the carnival to the other, he felt nostalgic and could tell he wasn’t the only one. He was having such a good time that he’d even stopped looking over his shoulder for Travis Delgado.
After the rides and games, he, Coop, and Fred sat at a table eating empanadas and sipping beer. It felt like an honest-to-God boys’ night out and Jason realized how much he’d missed having friends.
“Savannah Sturgess is looking good,” Fred said. “We saw her earlier in the bumper cars with Flynn.”
Jason imagined all the jiggling the bumper cars must have brought about - of course she looked good. “Did she show you her ring?”
“We didn’t talk to her, we just-”
“Her ring?” asked Coop.
“Apparently, she and Flynn are tying the knot.”
“Really?” Coop’s eye did a series of rapid-fire tics and he scrunched his face. The light sheen of sweat on his forehead stood out more than ever. Apparently, he was unnerved by the news.
Fred shrugged. “It’s probably a good thing. She’s going to end up in serious trouble if she doesn’t slow down.”
Jason agreed. Eventually, Savannah would screw the wrong woman’s man and someone would get hurt. Several someones. He wondered if Fred had a history with Savannah, too. His instinct said yes.
Coop shook his head. “I can’t see it.” His eye still twitched. “I wonder if she’ll stop sleeping around once she’s married.” He looked like he was desperately hoping she wouldn’t.
Fred’s brows came down. He shifted. “Doubt it. I don’t see how a ring can change a person that much. After all, a ring doesn’t plug a hole.” Then he laughed. “Listen to us, gossiping like hens.”
Coop started to speak, then paused. “Look who’s here.” He pointed over Jason’s shoulder.
Jason turned. It took him a minute to spot the auburn-haired waitress from The Devil’s Triangle. Hallie Bessner - he remembered her well. She and another woman with the same shade of hair were at the crossbow shoot. In a white t-shirt and cut-off jeans, Hallie was stunning. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and it went deeper than lust. When he looked at Savannah, he’d simply wanted her body. When he looked at Hallie, on the other hand, he wanted all of her - and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
As if sensing his stare, she looked his way and their eyes met.
She smiled.
A hot blush crawled out of Jason’s shirt collar and he gave her an awkward little wave. Then, his pulse went on overdrive as she and her friend started toward them.
“Now there’s a sight for sore eyes,” Fred said.
Jason wondered if he was referring to Hallie or her friend - both were strikingly beautiful. Resisting a powerful urge to fix his hair and check his breath, Jason tried to look relaxed.
When they approached, Hallie said, “I almost didn’t recognize you without your coveralls on, Coop.” She carried a stuffed blue bunny in one hand.
Coop twitched and quickly lifted his hat, pushed back sweaty hair, and replaced it. “Hey, Hallie. Beth. Have a seat. Want a beer?” His tone suggested that he, too, was trying to sound casual.
Jason hoped his own attempts were going more smoothly.
“No, thanks.”
But when the women joined them at the table, Jason found himself relaxing. Hallie took a seat next to him and introduced him to her friend, Beth - who turned out to be her twin sister. And apparently, she lived just one street away from Jason. Hallie and Beth weren’t identical, but the resemblance was undeniable. The biggest difference between them was the alien head bopper that Beth wore on her head. She’d won it at the bean bag toss, she said.
As they talked, it was obvious that Coop, Fred, Hallie, and Beth all knew each other well - which wasn’t surprising given the size of the town. Despite the fact, the tension never left Coop’s body, but then again, Jason realized, Coop was always nervous. As he listened to them reliving old times, Jason almost felt as if he’d grown up in Shadow Springs with them.
Fred, obviously self-confident by nature, kept the conversation going, guiding it back to the present, allowing Jason to be part of it.
“I guess I’m the only one who hasn’t won anything yet,” said Jason as they compared their prizes.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” said Beth, pointing at her head. “These are going in the trash the moment I get home.” The glow-in-the-dark alien heads bobbed as she laughed, reminding Jason of Savannah, braless, in her halter top. “Have you guys been to the haunted house?”
“We have,” said Fred.
“And?”
“Not very scary.”
Beth looked at Hallie. “See? I told you it would be fine.” She looked at Fred. “I can’t get her to go in.”
“No way,” said Hallie. “I don’t like things jumping out at me like that.”
“This, from the woman who reads horror novels,” said Beth.
Horror novels? Jason was liking Hallie more and more.
“It’s not the same thing. My favorite is the Ferris wheel. There’s a great view of the whole town from up there.”
Beth laughed. “You say that as if it’s a pretty view.”
“It is!” Hallie laughed. “I want to go back up there.” She looked at Jason. “Have you been on it yet?”
“I haven’t.”
Hallie stood and held her hand out to him. “All right then. Let’s go. You and me, on the Ferris wheel, right now, Crandall. I’ll buy you a Coke afterward.”
Jason shrugged. “Who am I turn that down?” They took off for the giant twinkling wheel, leaving Fred, Beth, and Coop at the table.
The Ferris wheel stood tall, proud, and bright at the center of the midway between a shooting gallery and a carousel, its blinking lights glittering. The line was long, but Jason didn’t mind a bit. As they waited their turn, the conversation flowed; he learned that horror wasn’t Hallie’s only genre. She also loved Gothics, fantasy, and was, like himself, a big fan of Holly Tremayne’s historically-inclined supernatural fiction. She liked impressionist art and double chocolate lattes. Action movies from the 1980s were her favorite - and the cheesier they were, the better. Her guilty pleasures were the romance novels of Kathryn McLeod and the conspiracy theories of deejay Coastal Eddie on KNDL-FM. Jason laughed when she’d confided this, admitting that he, too, secretly indulged in Coastal Eddie’s whack-job conspiracy theories.
When they arrived at the front of the line, a young, pimply-faced carnie helped them into one of the cars, and after the Ferris wheel was loaded up, they were in the air, overlooking the fairgrounds. And Hallie was right: The entire town was visible from here, and despite what Beth had said, it really was pretty.
Jason felt invincible up here. Being off the ground made him feel free, and being with Hallie made him feel alive for the first time in a very long time.
Away from the noise of the crowd, the conversation felt more personal, more private.
“So how did you come to work at The Devil’s Triangle?”
Hallie smiled. “It’s just to help while I work toward my degree.”
“What are you in school for?”
“Marine biology.”
“Wow. That’s heavy-duty stuff.”
She sighed and nodded. “You’re telling me.”
“That must take up an awful lot of your time - working and going to school.”
“It does, but I don’t have any other obligations.” Shrugging, she laughed. “And it’s not like there’s anyone at home waiting for me.”
“No boyfriend?” As soon as he said it, he felt stupid. It sounded desperate. And obvious. And why am I asking anyway?
Hallie shook her head. “Nope.”
“That doesn’t seem possible.” This is going from bad to worse!
She tipped her head at him.
He felt like an idiot. “It’s just that …
you seem so … outgoing. I figured you’d have a boyfriend. It’s just that you’re very pretty and …” God, I really am an idiot.
She laughed. “Thank you. I guess I’m just not interested in dating.” She looked lost in thought. “Not for now anyway.”
When Jason didn’t say anything, she added, “My most recent experience was a bad one. But that’s a long story for another time. What about you? Are you single?”
He hesitated. “Yes, I’m single.”
“A handsome guy like you?” She grinned.
“Well, yeah. I’m a widower. My wife passed away six months ago.” The Ferris wheel stopped, suspending Jason and Hallie near the top.
For a moment, she was silent. “I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.”
“Thank you.”
“Is that why you moved here? To … start over?”
“It’s a big part of it, yeah. I’m not sure you can run away from the past, though. Actually, I know you can’t.”
“I think you’re right about that.” She paused. “Do you have any kids?”
He nodded. “A seventeen-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter.”
“And how are they handling it?”
A part of Jason felt weird getting into all of this, but another part of him thought it was the easiest, most natural thing to do and he found himself answering her questions without reservation. “Brent, my son, was never easy to begin with and this has pushed him over the edge. And Amber … she’s a tough kid, but she’s only seven.”
“So, you’re both Mom and Dad now?”
“Yeah. And I’m not doing a very good job at momming.” He tried to smile.
When Hallie patted his hand, Jason felt a quick and not entirely unpleasant tightening around his heart. “It sounds like you’re doing just fine. You care enough to worry about it and that says a lot.”
“Thanks. I’m trying.” His voice came close to breaking and he knew he’d said enough for one night. He didn’t want to end up getting emotional and embarrassing both of them. “What do you say we move onto more enjoyable subjects?”
“One more thing.” She placed the blue bunny in his lap. “For your daughter.”
Jason stared at her, touched by her kindness. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
He looked down at the bunny. “She’ll love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And if you ever need someone to talk to …” She touched his hand again and this time, she let it linger a moment.
It felt good to be touched.
After the Ferris wheel, Jason and Hallie talked about lighter things. They walked around together, stopping at a few places to play some games. Hallie bought him the Coke she’d promised, refusing to let him pay for it. It had been a while since Jason had enjoyed anyone’s company as much and though he knew he wasn’t ready for anything more than friendship now, he couldn’t help feeling that in another situation, in another time, Hallie Bessner was just the kind of woman he could see himself getting close to. He could tell she liked him, too, but she didn’t push - and he appreciated that.
After playing several games in the arcade, the two of them saw Coop. He stood, hands in his pockets, watching the carousel where Beth and Fred were laughing and acting like fools.
“Hey, Coop,” said Jason. “Having fun?”
“Yeah.” Sweat stood out on his face in big beads. “What about you two?”
“We had a ball,” said Hallie. “How come you’re not on there with them?”
Coop shrugged. “I get motion sickness.”
Jason had a feeling Coop never really let loose. He seemed always to have heavy things on his mind.
Coop nodded at the blue bunny Jason held. “Looks like you finally won something.”
“Actually, no. Hallie gave it to me for my daughter.”
Hallie watched her sister pretend to whip her fiberglass horse on the carousel. “I can’t take her anywhere.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Jason. “I think she seems like a lot of fun.”
“She is.” Hallie smiled. “But I’m the smart one.”
Jason laughed.
The ride ended and Beth and Fred hopped off the carousel.
Jason was getting tired and could tell the others were conking out, too. “This has been a lot of fun, but I really ought to be heading home.” He’d lost track of time and was overdue to call Amber and inform her he hadn’t been murdered by clowns.
“Me, too.” Coop yawned. He looked tired. Even the signature sweat on his face had dried up, as if he didn’t even have the energy left to perspire.
Fred and Beth were ready to go as well.
Jason said goodbye to his new friends.
“Stop by the Triangle anytime,” said Hallie.
“I will.” And the strange thing was, he meant it. He was already looking forward to seeing her again. “I’ll see you later, Coop.”
Coop nodded.
Jason walked to a semi-quiet spot near some covered picnic tables and called Dottie.
“She’s out like a light,” she told him.
“How was she?”
“Absolutely delightful. We played cards.”
Jason laughed. “Well, if she wakes up, let her know I’m on my way.”
After that, he called Brent, who said that Liam was going to give him a ride home. Jason’s only stipulation was that Brent be home by midnight - it was Thursday and there was school tomorrow. If he wanted to come back Friday and Saturday night, Jason said, he could stay out a little later.
After hanging up, Jason wandered toward the restrooms, no longer able to ignore the call of nature. The row of Porta-Potties sat at the edge of the fairgrounds - and every last one of them was occupied. Jason sighed. He needed to go. Bad. He looked out at the forest beyond. It was dark and there were plenty of trees. No one would even know … and truth be told, he’d rather pee in the woods than one of those awful plastic outhouses. He looked around guiltily, then stepped past the Porta-Potties and into the trees, making his way in deeper, guided by the surprisingly bright light of the moon.
Several yards in, he found a tree as good as any, and after another quick look around, he tucked the blue bunny under one arm and unzipped. He tipped his head back, relishing sweet relief. There was something about peeing outdoors that was especially satisfying. Maybe it was primal - he didn’t know, but he suspected all men would agree. After what seemed an eternity, he shook off and zipped up.
He was turning to head back when he heard it: “Uhhh …” A deep moan. He looked around, frozen in place, unable to tell where it had come from.
It came again. “Uhhhhh … Mmmmm …” It was a human sound, he was sure. Perhaps someone had had too much to drink and wandered into the forest and fallen.
Creeping between the trees, he headed toward it, stopping to listen. When it came again, he continued, the hairs on his neck standing on end. Then he heard breathing - hard, fast rasps. “Huh, huh, huh …” He was getting closer.
When he saw it, he instinctively ducked behind a tree, hiding himself. What the hell? After a beat, he peered cautiously around the trunk, his curiosity turning to shock as he realized what he was looking at: A man, his back against a tree, pants around his ankles. Savannah Sturgess kneeling before him, her red halter top pulled up to expose her breasts.
The man groaned deep and throaty, his hands fisted in Savannah’s hair. A red heart was tattooed on the inside of his forearm. It was not Flynn Garvey. His size, curly black hair, and strong Greek features belonged to someone Jason had never seen before. Breathing harder, bucking his hips, the man began slamming into her. “You like it when I fuck your mouth, don’t you? I’m coming. Oh, fuck, yes, I’m coming!”
His heart pounding like a snared rabbit’s, Jason watched for a moment, unable to move. As the man shuddered and bucked, his groans grew loud enough to overpower any other sounds, and Jason seized the opportunity to make a quick getaway back to the fairgrounds.
“W
here’s Brent?” Amber’s voice slurred with sleep as Jason lifted her off Dottie’s sofa.
“He’s out with his friend, sweetie. He’ll be home soon.”
“Was there clowns?”
“Yes, but they were nice ones.”
“Okay.” She lay her head on his shoulder and was fast asleep again.
Jason turned to Dottie and spoke quietly. “Thank you for watching her.”
“She was an absolute delight, dear.” Dottie looked especially grandmotherly with rollers in her white hair and a white house dress that sported creamy yellow flowers.
“I got lucky moving next door to you, Dottie Blanchard.”
She smiled. “You get home and put that little girl to bed.” She gave Amber a peck on the top of the head.
Jason carried his sleeping daughter home, Ruby under his free arm. He’d left the blue bunny in the car, seat-belted in back. It would be a nice surprise when she found it tomorrow when he drove her to school.
He crossed into his yard, relishing the scent of honeysuckle. It smelled like home to him now and though he’d grown accustomed to the sweet scents surrounding his house, he didn’t take them for granted. Nor had he become numbed to the beauty of the cat’s claw blooms; they wouldn’t last much longer. The silver light of the moon spilled down on them now, intensifying the rich bright yellows.
Jason stopped, dread clapping cold calloused hands around his heart, when the house next door came into view.
Framed in the window, illuminated by the ghoulish glow of a blue-shelled Tiffany lamp, Tabitha Cooper stood, both hands on the glass. There seemed nothing to her but skin and tendon holding her bones together, and her eyes, like ghosts inside their sockets, were trained on Jason. That blind stare penetrated him, reaching inside him and taking hold of his marrow like cold dead hands.
On a wall behind her, a painting of Jesus loomed, arms outstretched, head tipped tenderly to one side as the old woman’s fingers scribbled invisible things on the glass. Her wrinkled slitted mouth opened and closed, opened and closed, making silent confessions.
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